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Man on the street: On call

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by:
Maggie Pahos
Observer Intern

Question: “How do you feel about cell phone towers going up on Longboat Key?”

Sandi Wagner
“We need them, but it’s also good not to have them here. Here, people can relax, and it keeps the Key the way it should feel without them. It probably won’t happen because of the way they look.”

Trish Gough
“I don’t think that would go down here on the Key.”

Keith Bickel
“I think it’s an important public service. For instance, if there’s an emergency somewhere people need to be able to get through to each other. People need an emergency service — especially on the beach with the problem of the riptides. So many more people are using different ways of communicating that all depend on reliable service — iPhones, new tablets. My wife and I each have different cell-phone services because neither really works here. It’s a public need to have the towers.”
Stephen Sunderland
“I have no cell-phone service right now, what an irony. It’s a public necessity. If you want electricity, the city provides electricity — it’s the same idea. Also, elder populations often have medical issues and they need to be able to call for help. It should be a requirement to have the towers.”
Shirley Green
“I’m not thrilled about it. I don’t like the idea. Where are all they going? I’ve seen what they look like. They’re going to obstruct.”
Fred Green
“They’re unsightly. They may be interfering with other things also, like our AM radio.”